Political Reform

Having the courage to fight for policies that best support this system was a trademark of the Schwarzenegger administration and will continue at the Schwarzenegger Institute. Redistricting, open primaries, campaign finance, the role of media and the role of special interest all impact our political system and must be part of this important discussion.

Perspectives

There is some extra wattage here this morning for arguments in one of the marquee cases of the new term, Gill v. Whitford, about the constitutionality of partisan gerrymandering. Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican who has also appeared in a few movies, is here today, seated in the second row of the public gallery. He has become active in the effort to eliminate political gerrymandering, employing several of his popular catchphrases. SCOTUS Blog

WASHINGTON — Justice Anthony M. Kennedy has long been troubled by extreme partisan gerrymandering, where the party in power draws voting districts to give itself a lopsided advantage in elections. But he has never found a satisfactory way to determine when voting maps are so warped by politics that they cross a constitutional line. After spirited Supreme Court arguments on Tuesday, there was reason to think Justice Kennedy may be ready to join the court’s more liberal members in a groundbreaking decision that could reshape American democracy by letting courts determine when lawmakers have gone too far. The New Yrok Times

Hey, isn’t that . . . former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, joining the throngs at the Supreme Court on Tuesday morning as the justices consider a major case on gerrymandering? The former action-movie star, who arrived amid protests on the court steps, wants to terminate (sorry) partisan drawing of voting districts — an issue he has made his post-gubernatorial cause celebre. He was among the speakers at a rally sponsored by Common Cause, Represent.Us, and the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Washington Post